Abstract Background: Domestic cats have been implicated as accidental hosts of Leishmania sp. However, in recent years, the recurrent description of new cases in endemic and nonendemic areas draw attention to the potential epidemiological role of cats as reservoir hosts. Although dogs are considered urban reservoirs, cats could act as a secondary natural reservoirs in these areas. Thus, feline leishmaniasis has become an emerging disease in several countries worldwide. Case presentation: This study aimed to describe the first case of feline leishmaniasis in a stray animal that presented lesions compatible with the disease in Belém, Pará, Brazil, an important urban area in eastern Amazon. Serological tests for Leishmania infantum (ELISA and IFA) were nonreactive, whereas histopathological examination indicated infectious dermatitis caused by Leishmania spp. or Toxoplasma gondii. Cytopathological study of lesion aspirate confirmed the presence of Leishmania sp. amastigotes within macrophages. Finally, molecular analyses revealed that the feline infection was caused by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi. Conclusion: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study reports the first case of natural infection by Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum chagasi in a feline from eastern Amazon. These findings suggest domestic cats as potential secondary reservoir hosts of Leishmania spp. in Belém, which reinforces the importance of further epidemiological investigation of feline leishmaniasis, especially in urban areas with human cases. Background sp However years Thus worldwide presentation Belém Pará Brazil Amazon ELISA IFA nonreactive spp gondii macrophages Finally (Leishmania Conclusion authors knowledge

A babesiose é uma doença hemolítica de ocorrência mundial, causada por protozoários do gênero Babesia(Apicomplexa), que são transmitidos por carrapatos a diversos mamíferos, incluindo o homem. O objetivo deste estudo foi otimizar um método molecular para a detecção de fragmento do 18S rDNA de Babesia canis, Babesia vogeli, Babesia rossi ou Babesia gibsoni com base em uma única semi-nested (snPCR), comparando sua eficiência com um protocolo de PCR simples. Para isso, 100 amostras de sangue de cães com suspeita de hemoparasitoses foram analisadas e, enquanto o protocolo de PCR simples indicou somente 5% (5/100) de amostras positivas, o protocolo de snPCR, com 22% (22/100) de amostras positivas, apresentou maior sensibilidade (pvalor = 0,0000). Este resultado está de acordo com outros estudos que mostram a maior sensibilidade de detecção dos testes baseado em nested ou snPCR. Assim, como uma forma de prevenir resultados falso-negativos devido à baixa parasitemia, sugere-se que este protocolo seja preferencialmente usado nos estudos epidemiológicos de babesiose canina, em especial naqueles que tratam da sua prevalência.

Babesiosis is a hemolytic disease caused by protozoans of the genus Babesia (Apicomplexa). This disease occurs worldwide and is transmitted by ticks to a variety of mammals, including humans. The objective of the present study was to optimize a molecular approach for the detection of a fragment of 18S rDNA of Babesia canis, Babesia vogeli, Babesia rossi or Babesia gibsoni based on a single semi-nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and compare the efficiency of this approach with that of a simple PCR protocol. To this end, 100 blood samples collected from dogs with suspected hemoparasite infections were analyzed. A comparison of the results of simple PCR and semi-nested PCR indicated a highly significant difference (p value = 0.0000). While only five (5%) of the samples tested positive using the simple protocol, 22 (22%) were positive using the snPCR technique. The results of this study reinforce the findings of previous studies, which have demonstrated the greater sensitivity of tests based on nested or semi-nested PCR. Therefore, to avoid false-negative results due to low levels of parasitemia, we suggest the preferential use of this protocol in epidemiological studies of canine babesiosis, particularly those that require reliable estimates of the prevalence of infection.

The histo-blood group ABH antigens were first described in humans. These antigens are only present on erythrocytes from great apes and humans, while in more primitive animals they are found in tissues and body fluids. The ABH antigens are mainly distributed in tissues exposed to the external environment and potentially serve as ligands for pathogens or inhibitors of tissue connections. The objective of this paper was two-fold: (i) to determine the presence of Helicobacter sp. in the gastric mucosa of 16 captive and 24 free-living New World monkeys and (ii) to evaluate the presence of histopathological alterations related to bacterial infection and the associated expression of ABH antigens in the tissue. Stomach tissues from 13 species of monkey were assessed using haematoxylin-eosin and modified Gram staining (Hucker) methods. An immunohistochemical analysis of the tissue revealed the presence of infectious bacteria that were characteristic of the genus Helicobacter sp. The results demonstrate that various species of monkey might be naturally infected with the Helicobacter sp. and that there is an increased susceptibility to infection. This study serves as a comparative analysis of infection between human and non-human primates and indicates the presence of a new species of Helicobacter.

RACIONAL: A aderência do Helicobacter pylori à mucosa gástrica humana é pré-requisito para sua colonização e o desenvolvimento da gastrite crônica. Os antígenos de grupos sangüíneos, presentes no muco gástrico, são descritos como prováveis receptores da bactéria neste epitélio. A expressão alterada destes antígenos está associada ao desenvolvimento do câncer gástrico. OBJETIVOS: Verificar a ocorrência do Helicobacter pylori e a distribuição da expressão dos antígenos ABH e Lewis correlacionada com as alterações histopatológicas de pacientes com gastrite crônica. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: Analisaram-se 63 amostras de sangue, saliva e biopsias gástricas de pacientes com gastrite crônica através das técnicas dot-blot-ELISA, imunoperoxidase indireta e colorações do Gram modificado e hematoxilina-eosina. RESULTADOS: Não foram encontradas associações significativas entre a presença da bactéria e os fenótipos de grupos sangüíneos ABH, Lewis e Secretor. Na maioria dos pacientes, a expressão dos antígenos ABH e Lewis, estava restrita principalmente ao epitélio foveolar da mucosa gástrica, concordando com a expressão ao nível salivar. A expressão inapropriada desses antígenos ocorria sempre na infecção pelo Helicobacter pylori e/ou alterações pré-neoplásicas da mucosa gástrica. Em áreas com metaplasia intestinal foi observada a redução da reatividade para os antígenos H e Le b, e principalmente o aumento de Leª. CONCLUSÃO: Alterações no padrão de glicosilação destes antígenos refletem diferentes estágios de diferenciação celular e são marcadores potenciais na avaliação diagnóstica e prognóstica das patologias gástricas.

BACKGROUND:The major cause for chronic gastritis in human is the infection by the Helicobacter pylori. The blood group antigens present at the gastric mucous are described as possible receptor for this bacteria in the epithelium. The alterations in the expression of blood group patterns are associated with the development of gastric cancer. OBJECTIVES: Verify the H. pylori prevalence and examine the immunohistochemical distribution of the ABH and Lewis antigens expression to correlate with histopathological alterations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 63 chronic gastritis patients were investigated gastric biopsies, blood and saliva samples by dot-blot-ELISA, indirect immunoperoxidase and hematoxylin-eosin and Gram. RESULTS: No significant association between the presence of the bacteria and the ABH, Lewis and Secretor phenotype was found. For the majority of the patients the antigen expression of the ABH and Lewis blood group was restricted mainly to the foveola epithelium of the gastric mucosa, similar to the saliva. The inappropriate expression of these antigens occurred always in the presence of H. pylori and/or preneoplastic alterations of the gastric mucosa. In areas with intestinal metaplasias we also observed reduced reactivity for the H and Le b antigens and mainly the induced expression of Leª. CONCLUSION: Alterations in the pattern of the glycosylation of this antigens are interesting, because they reflect different stages in the cellular differentiation and become potential markers in the diagnostic evaluation and prognosis of gastric pathologies.